Saudi-Iran: Exchange Of Accusations

Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of murdering pilgrims during the Hajj stampede while Saudi Arabia’s crown Prince has dismissed the comments made by Supreme leader of Iran. The Accusations were made by Iran’s top Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameni and emphasized that Muslim countries should reconsider the management of Holy place —Mecca and Medina— and issue of Hajj.

Ayatollah Khamenei accused the Saudis of being “at fault”.

“The heartless and murderous Saudis locked up the injured with the dead in containers – instead of providing medical treatment and helping them or at least quenching their thirst. They murdered them,” he said.

“Instead of apology and remorse and judicial prosecution of those who were directly at fault in that horrifying event, Saudi rulers- with utmost shamelessness and insolence – refused to allow the formation of an international Islamic fact-finding committee.”

The ayatollah called on the Islamic world to

“fundamentally reconsider the management of the Two Holy Places” – Mecca’s Great Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina – and “the issue of Hajj”.

The Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef has rejected the wrong accusations made by the Iranian supreme leader and asserted that Saudi had previously accommodated Iranian pilgrims with all the basic facilities. According to him, Saudi Arabia have no intentions to show prejudice or create discrimination among the people from different countries.

“The Kingdom do not allow in any way the occurrence of what is contrary to the rites of the pilgrimage that may disturb security and affect the lives of pilgrims and their safety, be them Iranians or otherwise.”

He added:

“The Iranian authorities are the ones who don’t want the Iranian pilgrims to come here for reasons concerning the Iranians themselves.”